Keith Hill, 30, was central to a sophisticated operation which dealt in vast amounts of ecstasy.

Hill, of Colworth Road, Speke, was trapped along with 61-year-old Brian Braker following lengthy police surveillance which eventually uncovered a total of 650,000 pills with a street value of £2m.

Officers swooped on the pair after they had loaded compost bags containing ecstasy ready to be transported from Shepperton to Liverpool. At the time of his arrest, Hill was on license after a four-year jail term for kidnapping.

Surrey Head of Crime Detective Superintendent Steve Scott said: "We know that teenagers are targeted by those that deal in ecstasy and that ecstasy can kill."

Braker, from Surrey, was jailed for 11 years and Hill for seven years after both pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply when they appeared at Guildford crown court.

Police had found more than 100,000 ecstasy tablets in the boot of a hire car being driven by

Hill and more pills at Braker's caravan. Hill claimed that he had been paid £400 to drive to London to collect what he thought was money for a loan shark.